Cable News and Trayvon Martin

When the shooting of Trayvon Martin became national news in 2012, it opened up a discussion about race and the criminal justice system in the United States. But since the trial of George Zimmerman began three weeks ago, coverage has taken a turn toward the sensational. Brooke talks to Tampa Bay Times media critic Eric Deggans about the evolving quality of coverage of the Trayvon Martin story.

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Comments [4]

Miss M

It's hard to have a discussion about racism because racism is a moving target. It's clear that Zimmerman was a racist because he only called the police on young, black men in his neighborhood but since he doesn't have a white robe and hood some people want to claim that's not racist. When defenders of racism claim it's not an issue, they're thinking about cross burnings and lynchings, not the security guy who is so busy profiling black customers that he doesn't see the white person robbing the store blind.

"State Attorney Angela Corey fired her office’s information technology director Friday after he testified last month about being concerned prosecutors did not turn over information to George Zimmerman’s defense team in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. . . . "

Why no "honest and difficult conversation" about apparent media manipulation such NBC's editing of a 911 tape and the Justice Department's possible contribution to activism in the wake of the incident? What "great narratives" are being served politically and what "important truths" about the media are being obscured by downplaying or ignoring those aspects of the case?